Method, system and apparatus for location-based gaming

ABSTRACT

A method of location-based gaming includes the steps of engaging a program to play a game, determining the location of a target object, providing the location of the target object to a central location, obtaining a data file pertaining to an object at the location of the target object, and generating gaming object data relative to the location of the target object.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/461,171, filed Jun. 13, 2003, which in turn was based on U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/389,700, filed Jun. 14, 2002,the disclosures of each of which are incorporated in their entiretiesherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method, system and apparatus forenabling a user to play a computer game or “video game” usinginformation associated with a player or object at a specific location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Recent developments in telecommunications and data processing, and inparticular the development of broadband capability in connection withwide-area networks such as the Internet and wireless interfaces to suchnetworks, offer the potential for facilitating the transmission andreception of large amounts of information which may be directed toeffectuating an electronic gaming environment in which one or moreplayers may interact with each other and/or computer generated objects.However, at present it is typically necessary for a player to obtain thedesired information and play electronic games at a single fixedlocation, such as a home or office computer, an Internet caf or thelike.

A need exists for a method for enabling players to interact with eachother or objects in a game, or other persons in relation to thelocations of the players, objects and/or other persons.

A need also exists for a system and apparatus for facilitating suchmethods.

SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method of location-based gaming that includes the steps ofengaging a program to play a game, determining the location of a targetobject, providing the location of the target object to a centrallocation, obtaining a data file pertaining to an object at the locationof the target object, and generating gaming object data relative to thelocation of the target object.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription. It is to be understood, however, that the detaileddescription and specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustrationand not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope ofthe present invention may be made without departing from the spiritthereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be more readily understood by referring to theaccompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating an example of a method of theinvention by which a player identifies, locates, obtains informationpertaining to and interacts with a game object and another player, whichalso illustrates the flow of data between various components employed inthe method, and

FIGS. 2 a-b are illustrations of views generated for players 1 and 2 ofFIG. 1, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a player firstengages a program to play a game. The game may be downloaded to theplayers mobile computing device 10, such as a personal digitalassistant, laptop computer or similar device. In some preferredembodiments, the player's mobile computing device may be connected to aheads-up display 12 for the purposes of displaying the game action,objects in the game, other players, scores, remote sensing features andthe like.

In some preferred embodiments, the user determines the location of atarget object 14, such as another player. In particular, the userdetermines the location of the target object relative to the user'slocation. The target object may be another player, a physical objectsuch as a tree, a water source or rock, or merely a selected location inphysical space which may be used to correspond to a virtual location inthe game. The distance between the user and a target object isdetermined using a ranging device 16. Appropriate ranging devicesinclude, without limitation, a device having an element that determinesthe distance or range to a target based on the eye positions of the user(e.g., using a cross-hairs element in the heads-up display); an infraredpointer device; an ultrasonic device; or any other ranging device.

Preferably, the player's mobile computing device 10 also carries alocating element, such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) locator 20in communication with Global Positioning System 21, that provides theuser's location, as well as the orientation of the user (i.e., thedirection in which the user is facing). The user's location andorientation, together with the location of the target object relative tothe user, thus can be used to determine the location of the targetobject.

Once the location of the target object has been determined, thislocation is transmitted to a central location 22, in particular to acentral computer. In particular embodiments, the information istransmitted via a wide-area network, such as the Internet, using adevice 24 carried by the user, such as, but not limited to, a personaldata manager, a cellular telephone having Internet accessibility, etc.

When the central location is provided with the location of the targetobject, the central location searches for one or more data filespertaining to an object at that location. Such data files can include,without limitation, text files, photographic files, video files, audiofiles, or dynamically changing data associated with the target object.In some preferred embodiments, such as when the target object is one ormore other players, the data regarding the location(s) of the otherplayer(s) may be updated dynamically with new information regarding thepresent location of the other player(s) in physical space being suppliedby one or more devices, such as GPS location devices 20.

In one preferred embodiment, two players are each equipped with wirelesscomputers capable of detecting their physical locations and transmittingthe locations via a wide area network to a gaming computer at centrallocation 22, which coordinates the location of the players with eachother and virtual objects generated by the gaming program. The programthen generates game object (i.e., virtual object) 24 data, includingperspective, size, etc., to the players so that the objects appearing inthe heads-up displays 12 of the players appear to realistically changetheir appearance in relation to the location of the players. Forexample, if the players are fifty feet apart and across from each otherin a large grassy meadow of a park, in some embodiments, the gamingcomputer would transmit data corresponding to a game object of adinosaur presented in the heads-up display of the players in properproportion to appear to be between the players. As the players move, forexample, circling the area corresponding to the computer-generatedlocation of the dinosaur game object, the players would receive in theirdisplays a rapidly updated depiction of the game object corresponding tothe views one would see if one were traversing around a real object. SeeFIGS. 2 a-b.

In some embodiments, a physical game tool or utensil 26 is also equippedwith a location sensing and transmitting means 28. In some embodimentsthe game tool is a sword which contains GPS location sensing andtransmission capability. By the use of such additional devices which canreport their location coordinates to the game computer, players may usesuch utensils in the game. For example, a player might appear to strikethe aforesaid virtual dinosaur with the player's sword utensil.

In some particular embodiments, the locations of the players and theiractions are incorporated into the game, interact in real time withvirtual game objects, such as computer generated dinosaurs, and suchinteractions and other game objects are displayed in a semitransparentheads-up display 12 which enables the real world to be the backdrop forthe game.

In other particular embodiments, the player could play against one ormore physical players viewed directly via such semi-transparent heads-updisplays, but who appear to be mixed into or otherwise superimposed uponthe computer-generated game environments which are transmitted to theplayers' computers for display via their heads-up displays. The wirelesscomputers may be capable of receiving voice commands via microphonesattached to the heads-up displays. In one embodiment, the players couldrequest to play a game in which voice commands are used exclusively.

Gaming object data as described above include video data, such asperspectives, sizes and the like. Further embodiments of the inventivemethod include additional gaming object data such as audio, tactile andolfactory information. In specific embodiments, one or more scentreservoirs, which are carried, for example, in a headset or otherapparatus worn by a player, can be triggered in response to gamingobject data generated by the gaming program.

1.-22. (canceled)
 23. A method of location-based gaming comprising thesteps of: a) providing a program to play a game between at least twoplayers, b) determining the location of each of two players. c)identifying a target object location based, at least in part, on thelocation of one of the two players, d) providing each of the two playerswith data pertaining to a gaming object at the target object location,the data being for displaying a virtual gaming object at the targetobject location on the display device carried by each of the twoplayers, e) generating and providing a virtual object for display on adisplay device carried by each of the two players, and f) receiving datafrom each of the two players relating to player interactions with thevirtual gaming object.
 24. The method of claim 23 wherein providing aprogram comprises providing downloadable software and data fordownloading into a player's mobile computing device.
 25. The method ofclaim 23 wherein identifying a target object location comprisesidentifying a target object location that is based, at least in part, onthe location of each of the two players.
 26. The method of claim 25wherein identifying a target object location comprises identifying alocation that is between the determined locations of the two players, asthe target object location.
 27. The method of claim 23 whereinidentifying a target object location comprises identifying a locationthat is between the determined locations of the two players, as thetarget object location.
 28. The method of claim 23 wherein identifying atarget object location comprises receiving data from one of the twoplayers, the received data corresponding to a geographic location. 29.The method of claim 23 wherein identifying a target object locationcomprises receiving data from one of the two players, the received datacorresponding to a geographic location that is between the determinedlocations of the two players.
 30. A method of location-based gamingcomprising the steps of: a) receiving on an electronic communicationdevice carried by a first player, a program to play a game between thefirst player and at least one second player, b) determining the locationof the first player. d) identifying a target object location based, atleast in part, on the location of the first player, c) receiving datapertaining to a gaming object at the target object location, d)displaying a virtual gaming object at the target object location on thedisplay device carried by the first player, including effects ofinteractions of each of the first and the second players with thevirtual gaming object, and e) providing data relating to the firstplayers interactions with the virtual gaming object.
 31. The method ofclaim 30 wherein receiving a program comprises downloading software anddata for into the first player's electronic communication device. 32.The method of claim 30 wherein identifying a target object locationcomprises identifying a target object location that is based, at leastin part, on the location of each of the first and second players. 33.The method of claim 32 wherein identifying a target object locationcomprises identifying a location that is between determined locations ofthe first and second players, as the target object location.
 34. Themethod of claim 30 wherein identifying a target object locationcomprises identifying a location that is between determined locations ofthe first and second players, as the target object location.
 35. Themethod of claim 22 wherein identifying a target object locationcomprises sending data from the first player's communication device, thesent data corresponding to a geographic location.
 36. The method ofclaim 22 wherein identifying a target object location comprises sendingdata from the first player's communication device, the sent datacorresponding to a geographic location that is between the first andsecond players.
 37. A system for location-based gaming comprising aserver computer configured to: a) provide a program to play a gamebetween at least two players, b) determine the location of each of twoplayers. c) identify a target object location based, at least in part,on the location of one of the two players, d) provide each of the twoplayers with data pertaining to a gaming object at the target objectlocation, the data being for displaying a virtual gaming object at thetarget object location on the display device carried by each of the twoplayers, e) generate and provide a virtual object for display on adisplay device carried by each of the two players, and f) receive datafrom each of the two players relating to player interactions with thevirtual gaming object.
 38. The system of claim 37 wherein, to identify atarget object location comprises identifying a target object locationthat is based, at least in part, on the location of each of the twoplayers.
 39. The system of claim 38 wherein, to identify a target objectlocation comprises identifying a location that is between the determinedlocations of the two players, as the target object location.
 40. Thesystem of claim 37 wherein, to identify a target object locationcomprises identifying a location that is between determined locations ofthe first and second players, as the target object location.
 41. Thesystem of claim 37 wherein, to identify a target object locationcomprises receiving data from one of the two players, the received datacorresponding to a geographic location that is between the determinedlocations of the two players.